Tuesday, August 30, 2016

They just want him to crack some heads

by digby

People have been trying to give Trump an out on his daft wall idea for months but he's been very clear that he means to build an actual wall like the Great Wall of China. I don't know why anyone thinks otherwise. The question is if it matters:

"And it will be a real wall. It will be a real wall. It won't be one of these little toys that you see every once in a while, our government throws up a little wall like this."

And this from a rally Wednesday in Tampa: “We’re going to build a wall, don’t you worry about it. We’re going to build a wall. We’re going to build the wall, and Mexico is going to pay for the wall, 100 percent. And it’s going to be a big wall. It’s going to be a real wall. It’s going to be as beautiful as a wall can be, but it’s going to be a wall."

And in remarks from that same town hall airing Tuesday night:

HANNITY: I want to talk about — you've said a lot of things about immigration. Let's start with, I guess, your signature issue on immigration, which is you're going to build the wall.

TRUMP: Yes, 100 percent.
...
HANNITY: Here's my question —

TRUMP: Well, you know, what has been interesting that I've been watching over the last week or two, and they've been saying, 'Oh, well maybe he won't build the wall, maybe he won't' —

TRUMP: I think people now realize we're building the wall. It's going to happen. It's 100 percent simple. You know, I tell the story all the time, the Great Wall of China, 13,000 miles long. This is 1,000 miles and we have Caterpillar tractors to build, okay?

It's 1,000 miles — it's 2,000, but we need 1,000. And it's so easy to do. And it gets higher and higher and higher every time somebody says I'm not going to build it.

It's true that some Trump surrogates have suggested that the wall might be virtual. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) said as much in May. At the time, he also referred to the "rhetorical deportation" of every illegal immigrant. "Maybe we will be building a wall over some aspects of it. I don’t know," Collins said.

Trump supporter and Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been calling it a "technological" wall and a "digital" wall for months.

But Trump has been steadfast on this point, giving himself no wiggle room.

What's more, while his supporters have been somewhat understanding of his waffling on deportation, the wall might be a bridge too far.

I've seen a few of his supporters interviewed on the subject and they were actually kind of chuckling about the wall. I don't get the sense they care about it that much. It's his attitude they like. As long as he promises to unleash the cops and the border patrol to do "whatever they need to do" they don't care about stuff like the wall or even deportation. They want somebody to crack heads, period. And that goes for Muslims and blacks too, whether here or over there. And if the Chinese need a little ass-whoopin' they're on board for that too --- just so long as we don't tie the military's hands, if you know what I mean.